Man who allegedly pretended to be doctor worked in NSW hospitals for over a decade
ABC News Australia
Wed 8 Mar 2017, 7:45am
A man is facing a $30,000 fine after allegedly masquerading as a doctor at New South Wales hospitals for more than a decade.
Key points:
- Shyam Acharya is accused of stealing an Indian doctor’s identity before posing as a doctor in Australia
- Mr Acharya worked in NSW from 2003 with only one complaint ever registered
- NSW Health has defended the department’s recruitment practices
Shyam Acharya is accused of stealing a doctor’s name and medical qualifications while in India before moving to Australia and becoming a citizen.
To find work in Australia, he allegedly used fraudulent documents to gain registration with the Medical Council of New South Wales in 2003.
Mr Acharya worked at MANLY, HORNSBY, WYONG and GOSFORD hospitals under the name Sarang CHITALE up until 2014.
As a junior doctor, he was under the supervision of other clinicians and NSW Health ,said one clinical incident involving a team Mr Acharya worked in was reported.
Medical Council did not receive complaints
Medical Error Action Group founder Lorraine Long said it was unclear what work Mr Acharya had been carrying out.
“If he’s working in a hospital, what was he actually doing in the hospital?” she said.
“I mean he had to have been conducting medical procedures of some sort.
“You couldn’t work in a hospital for that long and … not do any procedure. I find that hard to believe.”
However, NSW Health’s deputy secretary Karen Crawshaw said no complaints were received by the Medical Council of NSW or the Health Care Complaints Commission.
This is the NSW Ministry of Health’s excuse! No complaints!
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